Clutch control for braking flywheels



- Nov. 5, 1 940.

CLUTCH CONTROL FOR BRAKING FLYWHEELS Filed July 20, 1938 g INVENTOR. OH/V HFE/EDNA/V ATTORNEYS J. H. FRIEDMAN 2,220,517 I Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED I fs'rA'rs I Joiqngflfirldlllhi ap ueoeooJ- y a, 1938,- serlomol zzoasi V .sqoim, dam-i2) the flywheelltoadrivenshaftoithemachlneto operate the machine, and a brake to stop the motion of the machine when the clutch is released. In of this type friction clutches are employed and compressed air or 15 liquid under pressureisusedtoapplytheclutch and to release the brake, the brake being applied by a spring when the pressure of the fluid is re-- leased. Ordinarily in machines of this type the mainshaftoi themachinemakesbutasingle 2o revolution in each operationafter the clutch-has been engaged, at the end of which revolution a cam or the like automatically dmengages the clutch and applies the brake; The work 01' the machine is commonly-done by "a reciprocating. 25 member which is heavily loaded only at one point 4 in its stroke and a relafively-heav'y wheel is used to store the energy of the motor and deliver the same to the machine during theperiod when the work is'being done. In many instancs, as-

pairing oradiustin'gtheclutchorotherpartsot themachinaitisdesirabletostopthemtaflonof the flywheel andmotor.

connectedandthepowerotthemotorturnedoii,"

1 which has been stored in it'by the sipated, andbecauseoftheweiahtd-theflywheel a a e yo period or theflywheel come toajstop. This de1ay is 'extremeb undesirable when-making particularly where,a.sfrequentlyoccursglltisnec- 71 start and stop flywheel-several times before the adjustmentis fIheobiectdf'thpresmtinvmtimistoprovide means for stopping the flywheel and-motor inamachineofthls ypeaitertheclutch has been disengaged and the motor turned oil.

is accomplished with a friction t h by easing the clutch, applying thebrake-to the;

chine, turning ofi 'themotor and then lightly reengaging the clutchto impose a frictional drag on the flywheel and rapidly bring the same to;

55 In the accom ny drawing which dtscloses patent to William Ii. Clouse No. 2,109,940 and the TE T. OFFICE"! one arrangement the present inven- Figure 1 is a plan View, somewhat diagrammatic, of a forging machine equippedwith an air operated friction clutch and brake, and oh auxil 5 iary valve for stopping the flywheel;

Figure2 is a section through the valve the same in normal running position;

3-is'a section correspondingto Figure 2' showing the valve turned to position to cause the clutch'tbfunctionasaflywheel brake. 1 p

Referring to the drawing, thefimient'ion-has' been illustrated in connection with a for ing; mo chineabedframe Lacrahksha'ft! journailed in the bedirame,'a header slide 3 reciprocated by the crankshaft, and-a p die .4 driven by a grip die slide 5, likewise reciprocated by the crankshaft. As illustrated,"a flywheel 6 housing an operated friction clutch I is mounted directly upon the crankshaft 1. It will 9' be understood, however. that the flywheel i and the crankshaft when desired or connected to the in any suitable way, and likewise that:

and flywheel may lie-separate units mther than a combined unit.-' The combined and friction clutch may be" of the type illu r ted in the patent to. William L. Clause, No. I V 127,143,861 I 7 when adjustingthe machine,settingdies,orre-' fAJIiGbOl' lismoimted upon the frame'and g 'videdwithia belt or belts 9 encirclingthe motor 7 pulleyj andlthe periphery of the flywheel .y It will oit course, be understood that may be to the-flywheel if or the'p wer may beapplied totheilywheel from 'As the aforesaid patenttthe ywheel! is journalled- 2 and en- ,AshaItofthemachinewhichintheembodiment illustrated is'the crankshatt'i, is uiewioejgg Provided with a friction brake ll 'which is arranged to be applied by a spring and by cit p admitted to a cylinder 12. This brake may be of the construction disclosed in the 7 cylinder for operating the same may be of the constnmtion disclosed in the patents to William Ii. Clouse No, 2,149,044 and No. 2,192,734. A supply line l3 leads from a source of pressure fluid,

vseller-ally compressed air, and in order to avoid excessive pressure fluctuations is preferably connected to a reservoir I4. A pipe l5 leads from the reservoir 14 to a trip valve l6 located in any convenient position in front of the machine, and a pipe I! from the trip valve leads to a cylinder l8 for operating the main control valves I! for the clutch and brake. The construction and arrangement of these parts is preferably as disclosed in the said No. 2,192,734. The arrangement of the trip valve l6 and the main control valves I9 is such that when the trip valve is opened air pressure is admitted to the cylinder l8 which opens valves leading to both the brake and the clutch, preferably with the brake valve being opened first and the clutch valve then being opened after a short interval. Pressure fluid passes from the reservoir 14 through a pipe to the main control valves l3 and when these valves are opened is admitted through the pipe 2| to the cylinder l2 to release the brake against the-force of the spring holding the same engaged, and is.

The auxiliary valve 23 embodies a casing 25 and a rotor 26 which may be controlled in any suitable way, as by a handle 21. The rotor is provided with ports 28 and 29 which align with the pipes 22 and 24 so that in the normal running position of" the valve, as illustrated in Figure 2, the pipes 22 and 24 are in direct communication with each other.

A by-pass pipe 3|! leads from the pressure fluid supply at any convenient location, as by being connected to the pipe 26, and opens into the casing 25 of the valve 23. Preferably a reducing valve 3| is disposed in the pipe 30, although as will be understood this valve may be omitted if desired. In the valve arrangement shown the rotor 26 of the valve 23 is provided with a third port 32. In the normal running position of the valve as illustrated in Figure 2 the port 32 is closed by the casing 25 and the pipe 30 opening through the casing is closed by the wall of the rotor 26. when the valve rotor 26 is turned in a clockwise direction from its normal running position as illustrated in Figure 2, the port 28 moves out of registration with the pipe 22, and the rotor 26 closes this pipe. At the same time the port 29 moves into registration with the pipe 3|! and the port 32 moves into registration with the pipe 24, thereby admitting pressure fluid from the bypass pipe 36 into the pipe 24 leading through the connection 1 I to the clutch I.

When the machine is operating the auxiliary valve 23, as previously described, is positioned as shown in Figure 2 so as to connect the pipes 22 and 24. When the trip valve I 6 is operated the main control valves I! admit pressure fluid to the brake cylinder l2, releasing the brake, and then to the clutch I, engaging the clutch. At

the conclusion of the desired cycle of operation the main control valves l3 are automatically closed, shutting off the pressure fluid supply line 20 and exhausting the pressure fluid which has been admitted to the-brake cylinder l2 and the clutch I. The spr l thereupon again engages the brake ll, stopping the rotation of the shaft 2 and the flywheel turns freely upon the now stationary shaft 2. Should it be desired to stop the flywheel and motor the switch controlling the motor is opened and the valve 23 is turned to the position illustrated in Figure 3. Pressure fluid is then admitted through the by-pass 30 and the pipe 24 to the clutch causing frictional engagement of the series of clutch plates connected respectively to the flywheel and the shaft 2. Since the shaft 2 is held against rotation by the brake H, the frictional force exerted by the clutchquickly brings the flywheel 6 and motor 8 to a stop. When it is desired to again operate the machine in the normal way the valve 23 is returned-to its normal running position as illustrated in Figure 2 at which time the pressure fluid which has been admitted to the clutch I through the pipe 24 is exhausted through the pipe 22 and the main control valves [9 and the machine is again ready for normal operation.

It will be understood, of course, that any suitable form of valve mechanism may be employed as the auxiliary valve 23 and likewise that the desired restriction in the flow of pressure fluid from the pipe 30 to the pipe 24 may be obtained by simply using smaller ports or by opening the valve only a slight amount, instead of using the reducing valve 3|. A reduced pressure or restricted flow through the pipes 30'and 24 is desired in order to prevent too sudden a stopping of the flywheel and motor and also to avoid any danger of injury to the friction plates of the clutch. Many other variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine having a driven shaft, a flywheel, a friction clutch for coupling the flywheel to the driven shaft, fluid means for engaging theclutch, and a brake for stopping the rotation of the driven shaft, means for releasing the brake and for admitting pressure fluid to the operating means for the clutch to engage the same and rotate the driven shaft, and means for admitting pressure fluid to the operating means for the clutch while the brake is engaged to stop the rotation of the flywheel.

2. In a machine having a driven shaft, a flywheel, a friction clutch for coupling the flywheel to the driven shaft, pneumatic means for operating the friction clutch, a friction brake for stopping the rotation of the driven shaft, and pneumatic means for releasing the brake, the combination of valve means for admitting'compressed air to the operating means for both said clutch and said brake so as to release the brake and engage the clutch, and separate valve means for admitting compressed air to the operating means for the clutch alone so as to apply an engaging force to the clutch without releasing the brake.

3. In a machine having a driven shaft, a fly-- wheel, a friction clutch for coupling the flywheel to the driven shaft, means for engaging the clutch and a brake for stopping the rotation of the driven shaft, the combination of means for releasing the brake and engaging-the clutch, and other means for engaging the clutch while'the brake is engaged and the driven shaft is stationfor disengaging the clutch and applying the brake at a predetermined point in the rotation ofthe driven shaft, the combination of manually operable means for releasing the brake and engaging the clutch to initiate rotation of the driven shaft and other manually operable means for engaging the clutch while the brake is engaged and the driven shaft is stationary to stop the rotation of the flywheel:

5. In a machine having a driven shaft, 2. flywheel, a friction clutch for coupling the flywheel to the driven shaft, fluid pressure means for engaging the clutch, a brake for stopping the rotation of the driven shaft, fluid pressure means for releasing the brake, a, source of pressure fluid and control valve means for admitting pressure fluid from said source to both of said fluid pressure means to release the brake and engage the clutch and for releasing the fluid pressure to release the clutch and engagethe brake-the improvement consisting of a by-pass leading to said source of fluid pressure and a manually operable three-way valve arranged in one position to eonnect the fluid pressure operating means for the clutch to said by-pass and disconnect the same from the control valve means and in another position to connect the fluid pressure operating means for the clutch to the control valve means and disconnect the same from said by-pass.

JOHN H. FRIEDMAN. 

